Fullbright·Released Aug 2, 2017·Single player
Tacoma is a sci-fi narrative adventure set aboard a high-tech space station in the year 2088. Explore every detail of how the station's crew lived and worked, finding the clues that add up to a gripping story of trust, fear, and resolve in the face of disaster.
With Gone Home representing a key moment in gaming, Tacoma had plenty of potential to suffer from so called "second album syndrome". While it never manages to hit the same emotional highs – or lows – as its predecessor, it still stands out from the crowd, mainly through the implementation of some nicely interactive AR scenes to deliver its key story moments. While there are certainly other complaints you could level at Tacoma – such as its rigid linearity and how it occasionally falls into genre clichés – these can be easily forgotten as developer Fullbright once again proves where its strengths lie: with down-to-earth characters and thought-provoking storytelling.
Tacoma is a narrative game about chasing ghosts. Set in the future aboard a large space station, players search for answers in augmented reality
I continue to think of Tacoma as a story first, but it's more than that, clearly: It's an interactive experience, and that plays for and against it. The story is built out of the playback mechanic, which gives birth to the subtler suggestions of what's really going on with this station. But the playback system means there's a lot of talking to listen to, and a lot of wireframes to stare at. For a game about an abandoned space station, Tacoma gave me plenty of company. But the moments where I had to reckon with being alone in space were the ones that stuck with me.
Set aboard an abandoned space station, Tacoma combines Gone Home's warm, laidback style with a story about the future of automated labour.
A smart and thoughtful science fiction mystery featuring a cast of believable, nuanced characters.
Tacoma tells an intriguing tale about mortality and relationships in the face of catastrophe.
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Uncover details of a tense space mystery through cool AR recordings.
As with Fullbright's previous game, Gone Home, Tacoma won't be for everyone, but it's a masterclass in environmental and gradual storytelling. It weaves an intriguing story against the backdrop of a believable near-future culture.
Tacoma tells a story that is made compelling by a well-written and -acted cast of characters, but it's just short of being truly satisfying.
